First Android device- A tablet or a phone?

A friend of mine is going through a- what I would say transition. He is thinking of jumping the Android bandwagon (I know a little late, better than never). It will not be just his first Android phone but smartphone itself.

Usually, being a tech geek, I am very good at answering questions like, which phone in which range. Which company is giving better service in my area? Is it necessary to go for a bigger screen or a better OS the first time itself? The question he asked me though stumped me at first.

It’s not like I have not given this a thought. Unfortunately or fortunately though, I never actually had to go through this question. When I got my first Android device, tablets were nowhere in the picture. And once I had an Android phone I could not go back even after buying the tablet.

Thus, I never faced this question in practicality. Now, both have their own merits and demerits. I would love to discuss them here.

Buying a phone:

The first and foremost advantage is that it will always be there. We are in the habit of carrying our phones and therefore the usability is immense. Also, besides the normal apps like games and productivity, one can use the apps for calling and messaging. Whatsapp and other messaging apps are there to be utilized. These apps work in the phone only. They will work in the tablets with calling facility available (Samsung’s latest tablets) but not in the low end models.

The biggest disadvantage of course is the battery. From having a phone that needs recharge in 2 days, one goes to a phone that pants after a day’s work.

Buying a tablet:

Its biggest advantage is similar to having a PMP device. The phone battery is not affected. Except for the calling apps, rest will work and one can get an enhanced experience with the extra real estate. Other activities like reading books and watching videos is of course an added advantage.

Also, tablets generally have better processing power in the same price bracket. Whether it translates in the real world, I do not know. But it is still better to have a tablet that hangs than a phone which hangs when you want to pick up a call.

The disadvantage of course is an extra gadget.

It will be tedious to carry it everywhere. And to be honest, a few apps sometimes create a difference and Whatsapp is an app like that. At least, I feel that it has substituted the messages quite comprehensively for people of the smartphone world.

The final verdict:

I thought over it long and came to the conclusion that if one is having a phone that was just capable of calling and messaging, something like Nokia 1100 (People do have that- trust me!) then it is wiser to jump to an Android phone. The battery shock will be there but the advantages will overwhelm the whole experience.

On the other hand, you own a phone that is of the nearer era. Maybe, a smartphone of a different flavor (and you want to test Android waters) or a feature phone like Nokia Asha, you are better off with a Tablet. The experience will be better than a phone with added advantages of an ebook reader and watching videos.